newbobooks Chapter 271 Audrey's Gratitude
Chapter 271 Audrey's Gratitude
Chapter 271 Audrey's Gratitude
"The Intis Embassy? That's a real eye-opener right now! Even though His Majesty the King has announced that the murderer has been caught, it's still attracting a lot of attention—"
Aiven carefully considered his tone and spoke hesitantly.
"That's why I didn't think of directly asking you to help with the investigation."
My sister Audrey knows two members of MI9 and wants to delegate this task to them, but she's worried they might not do a good job. So she's hoping to get your help!
Hilbert had clearly considered the pros and cons for Evan beforehand, and instead of directly having Evan investigate "Alice," he simply wanted to use Hilbert's name to minimize Evan's risk.
This behavior pattern of always considering others is quite different from Evan's previous understanding of Hilbert.
This also filled Evan with doubt. Based on his understanding of Audrey, he guessed that the MI9 members she mentioned were Fors and Hugh.
Given Fors and Hugh's character, Audrey could have just entrusted the matter to them directly; why did she need to drag herself into it?
So Evan looked at Audrey with a questioning gaze, and Audrey nodded slightly to him, clearly hoping that Evan would agree first.
Then explain.
Evan thought for a moment. Fors and Hugh were both his subordinates, and the whole matter wouldn't be out of his control, so agreeing wouldn't hurt. He smiled and said:
"Okay, you can use my name when you make your appointment!"
But besides being an extraordinary being, what is so special about this woman that makes you go to such lengths to find her?
Hibbert used the excuse he and Audrey had agreed on beforehand, brushing it off with a relationship issue.
Hearing the man in front of him say that he liked him to his face, Evan felt a wave of shame and unease wash over him. Thinking of Klein's cross-dressing in the original story to play the Faceless Man, he couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.
I thought I wouldn't care about these things, but when I actually faced them, I still found it hard to accept.
That won't do. I'm the one who's going to take over the 'assassin' path in the future. How can I feel ashamed because of my transformation?
From now on, I will act more as "Alice" to overcome the related psychological barriers!
Although Evan kept muttering to himself, he didn't show it on his face, and congratulated Hilbert on finding someone he loved.
"To be honest, if the Intis Embassy wasn't so sensitive, I would really like to investigate for you myself and see what kind of lady could make Lord Hippel, the prince charming in the hearts of countless young women in Backlund, fall so deeply in love with her."
Hippel smiled, and said with a longing look on his face:
"In short, she's a girl you can't forget after just one look."
The more Hippobert acted this way, the more intense the strangeness and shame in Evan's heart became.
Fortunately, after receiving Evan's promise, Hilbert didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer, and instead took the opportunity to ask:
"I've heard that the royal family intends to form a marriage alliance with the Horn family. Is that true?"
"It's true! From what I know, His Majesty might announce the engagement between the little princess and my brother today!"
This matter was basically a done deal, so Evan didn't hide anything.
"My brother has some doubts about this matter. He heard that the little princess is only eighteen years old, and there is quite a big age gap between them. He doesn't know if they can get along well."
As he spoke, Evan looked at Audrey, who had been listening to Hilbert and Evan's conversation, because Audrey and Princess Oriana Augusta were childhood best friends.
"Oriana has always admired war heroes and has long idolized Lord Robert. I imagine she'll be delighted with this engagement!"
Audrey was surprised to learn about her best friend's marriage during her meeting with Evan. She was clearly taken aback, and her questioning gaze revealed a hint of her princess-like attitude.
In fact, it wasn't just Princess Oriana who had a certain adoration for Robert; many women under the age of thirty in Backlund secretly harbored feelings for him.
Since Robert was chosen by the old count to become the heir of the Horn family and entered the vision of Backlund's upper class, he has always been the "perfect child" in everyone's eyes. Coupled with his flawless appearance, he has always been a hot topic.
Men his age often envied his excellence, while women often regarded him as their dream lover. This situation became even more pronounced after Robert joined the army, distinguished himself in battle, became a war hero, and became the kingdom's youngest general.
I wonder how many young women wept on their wedding nights, heartbroken that Robert would never return from retirement; and how many married women dreamt of meeting him again before they were married.
A large part of the reason why Evan was not troubled by these problems after arriving in Backlund was because Robert stood in his way.
Evan's influence in the marriage market is much smaller than Robert's.
"Now that Earl Robert's marriage is settled, it'll be your turn next, Evan!"
Hibbert went to great lengths to prevent Evan from focusing his attention on investigating "Alice".
Evan gently shook his head, indicating that he had no such intention.
Just then, there was a knock on the study door, and a servant came in and said that several nobles were looking for Hilbert.
Hilbert glanced hesitantly at his sister, but ultimately took his leave.
"Did you give those gentlemen a psychological suggestion, prompting them to search for Lord Hippel?"
Evan had already figured out that Audrey had something to say to him, so after a little thought, he guessed her little trick.
"Nothing escapes your notice. No wonder you became 'Mr. Strength' in less than four months, rising to the top of MI9!"
Audrey was genuinely impressed by Evan's keen insight. Only the "audience" knew how subtle and seamless his arrangements were, but Evan was able to make a sharp deduction, which left Audrey with nothing but admiration and a sense of urgency to promote him as soon as possible.
When Evan heard Audrey call him "power," he knew she was speaking from the perspective of "justice," and he became even more serious.
Audrey was a straightforward person and knew about the upcoming celebration, so she kept it brief and expressed all her concerns about "Alice," hoping that Evan could personally investigate "Alice," who was suspected to be a princess of the Fussac Empire.
Evan chuckled. His purpose in revealing his identity as "Alice" of the Fusak Empire at the Intis Embassy was simply to see if it was possible to expose Beckron's defection afterward, causing Intis and the Fusak Empire to argue and create some trouble for both of them.
However, Beckeron's ruthlessness far exceeded Evan's expectations. Unexpectedly, in order to show his loyalty to his new master, Beckeron massacred the embassy before leaving, rendering the small slush he left behind completely useless. After all, when things get out of hand, it's better not to cause any more trouble and risk getting yourself into trouble.
However, unexpectedly, Alice's exposure of her identity as a princess of the Fussac Empire aroused Audrey's concern, which ultimately prompted her to ask Evan to investigate Alice!
Having figured everything out, Evan felt both amused and exasperated: Is this the otherworldly version of "Let heroes investigate heroes, let good men investigate good men"?
Thinking of the task Prince Grove had given him, and his earlier decision to let "Alice" be out and about more, Evan finally agreed to Audrey's request.
"If what you say is true, then this is indeed a big deal. Perhaps the massacre at the Intis embassy is directly related to this Princess 'Alice'. I will investigate it secretly."
And don't worry, I'll keep this a secret and try my best to avoid implicating the Hall family!
Seeing that Evan had accepted the task, Audrey couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, as she considered the matter to be extremely serious and troublesome.
Unfortunately, both she and her brother had gotten involved, and they couldn't just ignore it. So she was very grateful to Evan, who understood her predicament and took over without hesitation.
"Thank you, Mr. Evan. But I wonder what kind of compensation I should offer?"
Audrey knew that with Evan's wealth, he wouldn't care about monetary rewards, but money was the only thing she considered valuable, so she harbored some ambitions.
Evan understood that Audrey couldn't offer him anything right now, and besides, this was an opportunity for him to solidify his identity as "Alice," at least with the official authorities of the Kingdom of Rune. Therefore, instead of mentioning compensation, he said:
"Don't worry about the reward. On the contrary, I'm grateful for the crucial clue you provided. It's helpful in uncovering what happened at the Intis Embassy. In fact, if it weren't for your and Hibbert's special status and the need to be mindful of the related political implications, I would have given you the reward for this tip alone!"
Audrey smiled, knowing Evan's good intentions, but she didn't refuse.
Just as she was about to say something more, she suddenly heard military music outside and realized that His Majesty the King had probably arrived.
They could only leave the study together and go outside the villa.
At the manor’s spacious entrance, all the guests stood in two rows, silent and solemn, while the military band played “God Save the King” with great enthusiasm.
Before long, a group of royal guards dressed in red military dress, white trousers, and sashes, carrying rifles, came into view. They marched in neat rows in two lines.
Because there is a road more than ten meters wide in front of the royal estate, two rows of guards stand on both sides, with a guard standing guard every few meters. The military insignia on their shoulders shines brightly in the sunlight.
Following the guards was the royal carriage, with a vertically pointing sword emblem bearing a ruby crown on its hilt, the "Sword of Judgment," a symbol passed down from the Fourth Age by the Augustan royal family.
His Majesty King George III, with the beautiful Queen by his side, stepped out of the carriage and walked together down the red carpet toward the estate, followed by a large number of princes and princesses. Wherever they went, nobles and members of parliament bowed their heads.
In the crowd, Evan saw the long-lost Third Prince, Edsak Augustus. He looked exactly the same as he had a few months ago. After the royal family members entered the manor, more carriages arrived one after another. The carriages were only one grade lower than the royal carriages, clearly indicating that a group of powerful figures from the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Rune had come with the king.
The Duke of Negan, the Earl of Hall, the Earl of Robert, Prime Minister Agushid, ministers, and ambassadors from various countries all dismounted from their carriages.
They followed in the footsteps of the royal family members into the estate.
Upon entering the estate, the royal family members changed clothes inside the villa, while the others waited outside to receive the king and offer their birthday greetings.
The nobles who arrived at the manor earlier all went to find their own mothers and sought out acquaintances to build relationships with each other.
Evan naturally went to find his brother, while Audrey naturally went to find her father.
Because Earl Hall and Robert were of such high status, no one dared to disturb them when they were gathered together discussing matters. Therefore, Evan and Audrey easily squeezed to their side.
As soon as he arrived, Evan heard Earl Hall congratulate Robert:
"Princess Oriana is His Majesty's youngest and most beloved daughter, and has always been deeply cherished. His Majesty's decision to marry the princess to you demonstrates his immense trust in you!"
When he said this, the Duke of Negan's tone was somewhat sour, after all, he had also proposed to His Majesty the King for his son a couple of years ago, but had not succeeded.
In addition, there was also a hint of jealousy, because Robert's life was too similar to that of the male protagonist in the wish-fulfillment novel written by Emperor Roselle in his early years.
He rose to fame at a young age, was handsome and dashing, of noble birth, and held a high position of power. Now, he has even married His Majesty the King's most beloved little princess.
More importantly, at their level, they had already vaguely guessed that Robert might have a great talent for the extraordinary path.
With the prospect of becoming a demigod in the future, how could Duke Negan, who was already over fifty and gradually feeling his strength waning, not feel envious?
Moreover, it wasn't just the Duke of Negan who felt this way; other political figures also couldn't hide a hint of sourness when they congratulated Robert.
Earl Hall, in particular, seemed to regret his decision, for he had once considered marrying his daughter Audrey to Robert after she came of age.
In the Kingdom of Rune, noble men tend to marry late, and it is common for newlyweds to be more than ten years apart in age.
All their plans fell apart after George III informed them of the princess's marriage in advance, leaving Earl Hall with nothing but regret.
Robert could sense his colleague's emotions, but he didn't know how to respond. Seeing Evan walking towards them with Audrey...
After a moment's thought, he said:
"His Majesty's favor in arranging Princess Oriana's engagement to me has allowed me to settle a major life event."
The next major event for the Horn family is finding a suitable wife for my poor younger brother who lost his parents at a young age.
Robert's words seemed to have triggered something, causing everyone present to turn to look at the bewildered Evan and Miss Audrey beside him.